Controlling device for heating systems.



E. C. SOFIO.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 6. I911.

Patented May 4, 1915.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD CURTIS SOFIO, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO STANDARD HEAT AND VENTILATION COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. SOFIO, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices for Heating Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to heating systems, and with regard to the more specific features thereof, to thermostatically controlled heating systems for use in railway cars and automatic adjustments thereof.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an automatically controlled heating system of simple construction, which will be reliable in use and sensitive in its action.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the above character in which the parts are readily accessible and are not susceptible to wear or disarrangement in use.

A further object is to provide suitable adjusting mechanism whereby the apparatus may be adjusted both automatically and manually for varying condit'ons.

A further object is to provide improved apparatus such as that first above mentioned adapted to control the flow of steam to the heating system in a ratio inversely proportional to the temperature without the car.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

he invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein as shown one of various possible embodiments of this invention, Figure 1 is a side elcvational view partly in section; Fig. 2 is a partial transverse sectional. view; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of injector mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a continuous circulating system of radiating pipes 1 mounted within a railway car, the floor of which is shown at 2 and the undersheathing at 3. The radiating laterals, usually extending beneath the seats of the car, are omitted for the sake of clearness. Prefer-ably secured to the side wall of the car is a fixed late 4, loosely supporting adjacent ends oi the upper circulating pipe 1. At a suitable distance to one side is a second fixed plate 4 to which the circulating pipe is rigidly clamped whereby the expansion of the system on admission of steam takes place almost entirely in one direction, that is, toward the plate 4, supporting the pipes in a manner to permit a relative movement. Supported by the pipes near the plate 4 is a. valve chamber 5, connecting the adjacent ends of pipe 1 and containing a detachable valve-seat 6 spaced from the side walls of the chamber, as shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement provides with the space 7 surrounding the valve and valve-seat and connecting the adjacent ends of the system, and injector mechanism for continuously circulating the heating medium about the system, as clearly shown by the arrows. These parts all move together as a unit when the system expands on the admission of steam. An inlet 8 supplies the steam to the system from a train-pipe beneath the car, not shown, and a thermostatic trap 9, connected with the lower radiating pipe, is adapted to remove the water of condensation. Coacting with the valve-seat 6 is a valve 10 having a suitable gasket 11 thermostatically controlled by the expansion of the system, as above described. The stem 12 of this valve is provided with shoulders 13 and 14, slightly spaced apart, the latter fitting within a removable casing 15 within which is a spring 16 normally urging the valve toward closed position. Casing 15 is threaded into an opening in the casting of the valve-chamber, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

Intermediate the shoulders 13 and 14 is a U-shaped arm 17 mounted upon a rock-shaft 18, partially within the valve-chamber 5. This rock-shaft 18 passes through a stuflingbox 19, shown in Fig. 2, in the side of the valve-chamber and thence to the exterior thereof. At the outer end of this rock-shaft is positioned a crank-arm 20. These parts 17, 18 and 20 may be considered as constituting a lever mechanism for moving the valve relatively to its valve-seat. The crankarm 20 is provided with an inwardly extending pin 21, closely engaging the sides of a slot 22 in one end of a pivotally mounted lever 23 of the first order. This lever extends downwardly through openings 24 and 25 in the floor and under-sheathing of the car, respectively, and is supported by a pivot pin 26 carried by a bracket 27 secured to the under-sheathing. It will be noted that the openings 24 and 25 are larger than the lever 23, to permit an unrestricted movement thereof, and a ring 28 snugly surrounds the lever adjacent the opening 24 and slides on the floor as the lever moves, so as to cover the hole and keep out dust and dirt as well as cold air. The lever 23 is divided into relatively long and short arms, the short or lower arm being jointed at 29 with one end of a thermostatic member 30, preferably a brass rod having a relatively highco'eflicient of expansion. The other end of this rod is threaded, as at 31, and is adapted to engage a threaded nut 32 mounted in a relatively fixed threaded block 33 secured to the under-sheathing. It will thus be seen that by turning the nut 32, the relative position of the rod 30 may be adjusted to regulate the flow of steam through the valve 10. The length of the thermostatic member would depend, of course, upon the material used and the lengths into which the arms of the system of levers between the member and the valve were divided. According to the present embodiment of this invention and the proportions shown, the thermostatic member, if made of brass, should be ten or twelve feet in length. However, this may be easily and accurately determined by any practical engineer and the invention is not to be limited to the construction and proportions herein shown.

Having thus described the construction of one embodiment of this invention, the operation thereof is substantially as follows: Assuming the system to be cold and the pipes contracted, the valve 10 will then be normally open to admit steam when turned on. The steam enters through the pipe 8, passes through the valve 10 and around the system, causing the pipes to expand and move with the valve casing 5 relatively to the left of fixed plate 4. So far as the circulating system proper is concerned, the point 21 may be considered as fixed. The arm 20 will therefore be turned, on movement of the valve casing, to close the valve and prevent further admission of steam until the ipes cool and again contract. If the outside temperature is very low the car will cool more rapidly and a more continuous flow of steam is necessary to keep up the desired temperature within the car. The automatic adjustment of the system then takes place according to the outside temperature. This adjusting mechanism is preferably first adjusted by means of the nut 32'just to close the valve at normal temperature without the car when the steam is off within the car and the pipes contracted; that is, sixty-five to seventy degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature drops, the thermostatic member 30 would then contract, causing the lower end of the lever 23 to move to the right, throwing the point 21 and the crank-arm 20 to the left. This will cause the member 17 to act ,upon the shoulder 14 and thereby compress the spring 16, simultaneously opening the valve 10 to a slight extent and allowing steam to enter from the supply-pipe 8 continuously into the circulating system, as indicated by the arrows. After completing the circuit, the already used steam will be drawn through the passage 7 under the injecting action of the new steam. In this way a continuous circulation of steam is obtained. It is to be understood, of course, that at the outside temperature above stated, sixty-five or seventy degrees Fahrenheit, the valve is practically closed, and if the temperature falls further without the car, the valve will be substantially opened. In this way the automatic adjusting mechanism tends to regulate the amount of steam admitted to the circulating system in a ratio inversely proportional to the temperature without the car. ()n the other hand, should the temperature rise, causing an expansion of' the thermostatic member, the upperpart of the member 17 will move toward the left, permitting the valve partially or completely to close. In other words, the thermostatically acting heating system proper tends to maintain the temperature of the pipes constant, or at a predetermined standard. owever, should the outside temperature materially fall, then the automatic thermostat without the car acts to raise the standard by adjusting the valve to admit a greater amount of steam.

It is thus seen that this invention provides for a simple and practical apparatus having few parts which are not likely to become disarranged or impaired bv use, and that it accomplishes, among others, all of the objects above set forth.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a car heating apparatus having radiating pipes, in combination, a valve chamber having a steam inlet associated therewith and a valve seat therein, a valve in said chamber cooperatively related to said seat, and means without the car for controlling the position of said valve according to the exterior temperature, said heating apparatus comprising means within the car for controlling the position of said valve seat according to the interior temperature.

2. A car heating apparatus having radiating pipes and comprising in combination, a movable valve-chamber associated therewith, a thermostatically controlled valve in said chamber, means without the car for controlling the position of said valve according to the exterior temperature, and means within the car for controlling the position of said valve chamber relative to said valve.

3. In a car heating apparatus in combination, a thermostatically operated system of radiating pipes, a valve chamber associated therewith having a valve seat, a valve in said chamber, a thermostatic member positioned without the car independent of the pipes and adapted to move the valve from and toward its seat according to the fall and rise of the temperature without the car, and means within the car for moving said seat relative to said valve, said means within the car comprising as a part thereof a part of the radiating pipes.

4. In a car heating apparatus in combination, a heating system, a movable valve chamber, a thermostatically controlled valve therein, a thermostatic member without the car and a lever between said thermostatic member and said valve for opening and closing the valve according to the fall and rise in temperature without the car, said heating apparatus comprising thermostatic means within the car for controlling the position of said valve chamber.

5. In a car heating apparatus in combination, a circulating system, a valve and valve seat therefor, a thermostatic means without the car independent of said system for moving said valve, as the temperature falls, away from its seat and thus cause a circulation of steam within said system said heating apparatus comprising means within the car for moving said seat away from the valve as the temperature within the car falls.

6. A car heating apparatus having in combination, a radiating system comprising a valve seat, a valve associated with said system and cooperatively related to said seat and thermostatic means without the car independent of said system for moving said valve away from its seat, as the temperature falls, to permit a circulation of the steam within said system, said heating apparatus also having thermostatic means for moving the said valve seat, said last mentioned means being comprised'in and constituting a part of the radiating system.

In a car heating a paratus, in combination, a radiating pipe Xed at one point and having a valve seat positioned by the expansion and contraction of said pipe, a valve associated with said seat, a thermostatic member without the car controlled by the normal atmospheric temperature, and a system of levers between said thermostatic member and the valve for operating the valve as the temperature falls.

8. In a car heating apparatus, in combination, a radiating conduit expansible in one direction within the car, a Valve seat thermostatically controlled by said conduit, a thermostatic member without the car, a lever between said thermostatic member and the valve for moving the valve away from its seat as the temperature falls, and means normally urging said valve into closed position.

9. In a car heating apparatus, in combination, a radiating conduit expansible in one direction within the car, a valve and valve seat both associated with said conduit and one of said valve members adapted to be actuated by said conduit, a thermostatic member without the car, a system of levers between said thermostatic member and the valve for moving the valve away from its seat as the temperature falls, and means for adjusting the valve to assume a closed position at a normal temperature.

10. In a car heating apparatus, in combination, a continuous circulating system comprising ra'diating pipes positioned within the interior of the car and at least one of said pipes being fixed at one point and having an end which is free to move as the pipe expands and contracts due to variations of temperature within the car, a valve-chamber member secured to said free end and having a steam-inlet, a valve-seat spaced from the sides of the chamber but carried by said chamber member, a valve co-acting with said seat, said seat being so positioned, constructed, and arranged as to constitute a part of an injector which directs steam flowing through the valve seat from the space between the valve and its seat so that the steam will be circulated about said system, an expansible thermostatic member positioned beneath the car and controlled by the atmospheric temperature, and means interposed between said member and said valve whereby the latter is opened as the temperature without the car falls.

11. In a car heating apparatus, in combination, a continuous circulating system com prising radiating pipes positioned .within the interior of the car, a valve chamber member having a steam inlet leading to the interior thereof, a valve seat carried by said chamber member, a valve co-acting with said valve seat, said seat being constructed and arranged so as to constitute a part of the means for causing the steam to be circulated about said system, a valve stem, means coacting with said valve stem normally urging the valve to closed position, a thermostatic expansible member positioned beneath the car and controlled by the atmospheric temperature and a set of levers interposed be tween said thermostatic member and said valve stem whereby the valve is moved relative to the seat as the temperature without the car changes, said heating apparatus comprising thermostatic means within the car for moving said seat relative to the valve as the temperature within the car changes.

12. In a car heating apparatus, in combination, a system of relatively movable radiating pipes positioned within the interior of the car, a valve-chamber having a steam-in let, a valve-seat spaced from the sides of said chamber, a valve coacting therewith, said parts being so positioned and arranged as to constitute an injector for circulating the steam about said system, a valve-stem, a shoulder on said stem, a spring engaging said shoulder to urge the valve into closed position, lever mechanism adapted to coact With the opposite side of said shoulder to oppose the force of said spring, and an expansible thermostatic member positioned without and beneath the car connected to said lever mechanism for moving the valve away irom its seat as the temperature falls without the car, said valve seat being moved by a movable portion of the radiator toward and from the valve.

13. In a car heating apparatus comprising a thermostatic member within the car, in combination, a system of radiating pipes positioned within the interior of. the car, a valve-chamber having a steam-inlet, a movable valve-seat spaced from the sides of said chamber and dependent for its position upon the thermostatic member within the car, a valve coacting with said seat, said parts being so positioned and arranged as to constitute an injector for circulating the steam about said system, a valve-stem, a spring engaging said stem to urge the valve into closed position, lever mechanism comprising a member engaging said stem to resist the action of the spring, a rock-shaft upon which said member is mounted, and a crankarm upon said rock-shaft, an expansible thermostatic member positioned without the car and controlled by the atmospheric temperature connected to said lever mechanism for opening the valve as the temperature falls without the car, and means comprising a threaded member operatable from the exterior of the car for regulating the initial position of the valve relative to its seat as by changing the position of said expansible thermostatic member relative to the car structure.

14. In a car heating apparatus, in combination, a circulating system within the interior of the car expansible in one direction, an inlet valve seat controlled thereby, a valve associated with said seat, a pivoted lever operatively connected with said valve at one end and the other end of said lever passing through a hole in the car, a thermostatic member without the car connected with said lever, and a plate surrounding said lever and covering the hole whereby a free movement of the lever is permitted.

15. In a car heating system, in combination, a heating system positioned within the interior of a car and expansible in one direction, an inlet valve seat controlled thereby, a thermostatic member positioned without the car, a lever connected to said member and adapted to be actuated thereby passing through the floor of the car, and a valve cooperating with said seat, said valve being actuated with said lever.

16. In a car heating system, in combination, a heating system, positioned Within the interior of a car, expansible in one direction, an inlet valve member controlled thereby, a thermostatic member positioned without the car, means for adjusting the position of said thermostatic member, a lever of the first order connected at one end to said thermostatic member and adapted to be actuated thereby, and a second valve member for said system actuated by said lever, said first and second valve members being arranged so as to cooperate with each other to regulate the flow of fluid between them.

17. In a car heating system, in combination, a heating system expansible in one direction positioned within the interior of a car, an inlet valve seat controlled by said heating system, a thermostatic member positioned without the car, a nut threaded to one end of said member for adjusting its relative position, a lever connected to the other end of said member and adapted to be actuated thereby, said lever being pivoted beneath the floor of the car and passing therethrough, and a steam inlet valve for said system actuated by said lever, said inlet valve being arranged so as to cooperate with said seat.

18. In a car heating system, in combination. a system of radiating pipes positioned within the interior of the car, a plate secured to the car for supporting said pipes, a valve-chamber within said system, a valveseat and valve within said chamber, a spring urging said valve to closed position, a rockshaft partially within said chamber, an arm on said shaft coacting with said valve, a crank-arm on said shaft without the chamber, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends engaging said cranlcarm, the other end of said lever being without the car, and an expansible thermostatic member on the exterior of the car, said thermostatic member being connected at one end with the lower end of said lever.

19. In a car heating system, in combination, a system of radiating pipes positioned within the interior of the car, a valve-chamber, a valve within said chamber, means urging said valve to closed position, a rockshaft partially within said chamber, an arm on said shaft coacting with said valve, a crank-arm on said shaft Without the chamber, a pivoted lever engaging said crankarm, one end of said lever being without and beneath the car, an expansihle thermostatic member directly exposed to the atmosphere positioned on the car and connected at oneend with the lower end of said lever, and an adjustable mounting secured to the car for the other end of said thermostatic member whereby said valve may be adjusted.

20. In a car heating system, in combination, a system of radiating pipes positioned within the interior of the car, a valve chamher having a valve and a valve seat therein. a spring urging said valve to closed position, a rocleshaft partially within said chamber, an arm on said shaft coacting with said valve, a crank-arm on said shaft without the chamber, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends engaging said crank-arm, the other end of said lever being without the car, and an expansible thermostatic member directly exposed to the atmosphere p0- sitioned on the car and connected at one end with the lower end of said lever, said lever having surrounding it a ring that covers the opening through which the lever passes.

21. In a car heating system, in combination, a system of radiating pipes positioned within the interior of the car, means for holding a point in said pipes against movement, a valve-chamber remote from said means having a steam-inlet within said system, a valve-seat and valve within said chamber thermostatically controlled by the expansion and contraction of the pipes relatively to said holding means, a valve-stem, a shoulder on said stem, a spring about said stem engaging said shoulder for urging the valve into closed position, a rock-shaft partially within said chamber, an arm on said shaft eoacting with said valve-stem, a crankarm on said shaft without the chamber, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends engaging said crank-arm, the other end of said lever being without and beneath the ear, and an expansible thermostatic member directly exposed to the atmosphere positioned beneath the car and connected at one end with the lower end of said lever.

22. In a car heating system, in combination, a system of radiating pipes positioned within the interior of the car, means secured to the car for holding a point in said pipes against movement, a plate remote from said means loosely supporting the pipes, a valve chamber having a steam-inlet within said system adjacent said plate, a valve-seat spaced from the sides thereof, a valve coacting therewith thermostatically controlled by the expansion and contraction of the pipes relatively to said holding means, said parts being so positioned and arranged as to constitute an injector for circulating the steam about said system, a valve-stem, a shoulder on said stem, a. spring about said stem engaging said shoulder and urging said valve into closed position, a rock-shaft partiall within said chamber, an arm on said sha t within the chamber engaging the opposite side of said shoulder, a stufiing-box surrounding said shaft where it leaves said chamber, a crank-arm on said shaft without said chamber, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends engaging said crank-arm and so connected therewith at one end as to rotate said crank-arm when moved, the other end of said lever passing through a hole in the car floor to without and beneath the car, a plate surrounding said lever and covering the hole, an expansible thermostatic member directly exposed to the atmosphere positioned beneath the car and connected at one end to the lower end of said lever tending to automatically control the admission of steam in a ratio inversely proportional to the outside temperature, and an adjustable mounting secured to the under side of the car for the other end of said thermostatic member whereby a manual adjustment of said valve may be made.

23. In a car heating apparatus in combination a radiating conduit within the car, a valve and valve seat associated with said conduit, said conduit including a thermostatic member within the car for controlling said valve and valve seat to maintain constant temperature, a thermostatic member without the car, a set of levers between said latter thermostatic member and the valve for increasing the opening between the valve and said seat, as the temperature falls, and for decreasing said opening as the temperature rises.

24. In a car heating system, in combination, a radiating conduit of a continuous circulating type positioned within the car, an

inlet valve and valve seat for said conduit,

said conduit including a thermostatic member within the car for controlling the opening between said valve and seat, a second thermostatic member without the car and exposed to normal atmospheric conditions, and connections between said secondmentioned thermostatic member and said inlet valve to change the relative position between the valve and its seat.

25. In a car heating system, in combination, a radiating conduit of a continuous circulating type positioned within the car, an inlet valve and valve seat for said conduit, said conduit including a thermostatic member within the car for controlling the position of said valve seat, a second thermostatic member without the car and exposed to normal atmospheric conditions, and connections between said second-mentioned thermostatic member and said ValXG to increase or decrease the normal distance between the valve and its seat as the temperature without the car falls or rises.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD CURTIS SOFIQ. Witnesses:

MAXWELL GREENBERGER, ELMER E. ALLBEE. 

